Joseph hale



gleitet taies @stent @ffice JSEPH HALE, OF SMERVILLE, M A SSGHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 68,624, dated September 10, 1867. l

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHBRS.

TO ALL WHOM I'll MAY CONCERN: j

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HALE, of Somerville, in lthe county ofMiddlesex, and State of Massachusetts,

have invented an improved Washer for Carriage-Axles, etc. and I doherebydeclare that the followingtaken l l in connection with thedrawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a`description of my invention suiiicicnt to enable those skilledin theart to practise it.

To those familiar with the use of wheeled vehicles, especially such asare employed for pleasure and in the conveyance of persons, it is wellknown that washers are placed on the journals of the axles topreventend` wise movements ot' the wheel-hubsthereupon, to deaden ormuiile the noise consequent upon such endwisc `rnove'tnent, if any therebe, and to allow a slight elasticity in the connection longitudinally ofhubs with their axles. For such purposes it has been common .to employleather washers, and it is well known that these wear cnt rapdly, andalso soon become permanently compressed and hardened, so that where theyare used the wheels soon get an endwise play, which makes a disagreeablerattle in the movement of the vehicle.

Now, in my invention, I make the'washers for the purpose named-of wood,with the grain substantially in thc direction of lines concentric withthe periphery of eacl. washer. In the manufactureof such washers I"proceed as follows: First, I prepare a strip of any straight-grainedtough wood, hickory by preference, rectanguiar in cross-section, whichis of an area equal to a radial cross-sectional area of the washer to beconstructed.

This strip I soften by steaming or boiling, and then wind it upon anarbor, which I prefer `tounakea screw, j winding the strip of wood intothe spaces between the threads of the screw with a strip of thin metalor a chain, upon the outer surface ofthe wooden strip; this processpreserving the rcctangularity in cross-section of the wooden helix somade, and preventing the wood from slivering, splitting, or breaking.The arbor, with the wood secured thereupon, is then left to dry, whichdrying may be `accelerated by the application of heat,

and when dry and set the wooden helix is screwed off from its arbor, andis sawed apart,iso thateach section of the lhelix will, by a littledeilection, form a circular washer, with its sides in planes. 'Ihcsawing may be so., j

performed that the ends of the wood in the washers will abut, and thejoint so made may be in radial lines of the washer, or the joint may beinclined, bevelled, or scarfed, if desired. In some instances washersmaybe required in which a space is left between the adjacent ends of thewood, and this may be accomplished in `the cutting apart of the woodenhelix. In the drawings- Figure 1 shows in perspective a helix of wood,formed as and for the purpose described. l

Figure 2 shows in perspective a wooden washer of my invention, with thegrain substantially `concentric with the periphery of the washer Yformedlby softening, bending, and drying, and with the adjacent ends of `thewood in Contact upon ajoint plane, which is represented as scat-fed orbevelled.

Figure 3 shows my improved washer in plan, with the adjacent ends not incontact. Experiment has proved that these washers take up the oil whichis supplied to the axle', and glaze over and wear smooth, while theyhave a slight but valuable elasticity in yielding to cndwise strains outhe `hub,

and are equally eli'icient with leather in deadening or mutlling noiseor rattle, while the fricticnjbetween the parts is reduced to a minimum.4

These washers, besides being used with wheels and axles as described,may b`e similarly employed in' connection with other rotating bodies.Whenmade with the adjacent ends not abutting, as in lig. 3, the washermay be compressed into a space of somewhat lessr diameter than itsnormal one.

I claim for employment with wheels and axles, or similarly, washers ofwood with the grain, substantially as described, when formed bysoftening, bending, and drying.

Also the process described for forming washers of wood-by bending astrip into a helix, and then subdividing it substantially as described.l

' JOSEPH HALE.

Witnesses:

J. B. CROSBY, L. H. LATIMER.

